Not Actually Engaged (Otherwise Engaged #1)

by Jan Hinds

  Dan hunched his shoulders. “I don’t know, but Agent Franklin is excellent at what she does. If anyone can find Paige, she can. Also, since the first twenty-four hours are critical in locating the women she searches for, I was able to engage more resources in the search. Based on what we’ve discovered so far, a van left the parking lot moments after Paige’s call to Cooper was interrupted.”

  Cooper forgot his irritation with Dan’s insensitive comments. “Do you know where it went?”

  “We lost them when they turned onto secondary roads, but were able to confirm they entered Ohio.”

  Evie laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and said, “We just came from Ohio. What happens next? Can you find out who the van belongs to?”

  “The license plate was covered and the driver wore a hood and mask. We’ve estimated all possible route’s they might take and have alerted the state patrol and local police to keep a watch for the van,” Dan said.

  The doorbell rang and Tina hurried from the waiting area beyond the offices to answer the door.

  “I’m Agent Delia Franklin. Is Agent Cavanaugh here?”

  “Yes,” Tina said as she ushered Agent Franklin into the dining room.

  Agent Franklin wore her black hair fastened in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her practical shoes and a boxy black suit perfectly camouflaged her feminine attributes. However, even her large-lensed, black-framed glasses couldn’t hide the soft beauty of her delicate face and the fierce glint in her dark brown eyes.

  She greeted each introduction with a polite nod. Her words of comfort, and the confidence she exuded, gave Cooper hope.

  Agent Franklin said, ‘First thing in the morning, we’ll invite the press to come for a briefing at which the family will issue a statement. Who will be speaking for the family?”

  Stuart put his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “Will you give the statement, Son?”

  “Of course,” Cooper said. He turned to Agent Franklin. “So this statement for the press? What do I say?”

  Agent Franklin’s voice became soft. “I’ll outline the facts that we have so far and ask for anyone who might have witnessed her being taken to contact the authorities. We have a traffic photo of the van which we will show. After that, you’ll make a plea for Paige’s safe return.”

  Cooper looked from Agent Franklin to Dan. “Should we offer a reward?”

  Agent Franklin said, “Let’s start with appealing to the public. If we sweeten the pot too much, it will likely generate a frenzy of witnesses who will claim anything under the sun, hoping to luck onto the truth. Also, we don’t want to suggest a ransom amount to the kidnappers if that isn’t in their agenda.”

  Cooper’s hands hung down by his sides. “Do you have any leads?”

  Agent Franklin pursed her lips. “Detective Withers said Marcus Shore saw a suspicious character when he was guarding Paige. He saw the same man in a van on several occasions. At one point he tried to approach it, but the driver sped off. This is the artist drawing he helped come up with. Does he look familiar?” She pulled up the drawing on her phone.

  Cooper scratched his rough jaw. “There’s something familiar about him, but I can’t place him off the top of my head.”

  She showed the picture to Paige’s parents who looked from the picture to each other and back at the picture again.

  “That’s Walter Crawford,” said Evie. “Are you telling me he’s been following Paige?”

  Dan snapped the phone from Agent Franklin. He swore under his breath and said, “I should have had that guy arrested at the prom. I should have never listened to Paige.”

  Evie’s expression hardened. “What are you talking about?”

  Dan hung his head. “This is all my fault.” Dan shook his head. “We were at the prom and I noticed Walter pawing Paige on the dance floor and she looked uncomfortable. He was a senior and she was a sophomore. He dragged her out of the gym and when she saw me she mouthed Help me. I went after them. By the time I found her, her dress was torn and her hair was messy. She had red marks on her face and arms. I could have torn the guy apart, but she claimed he ditched her and begged me not to tell anyone. She didn’t want everyone gossiping about her. She didn’t want to cause you any more anguish,” he said with a nod to Stuart.

  Dan shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I gave her my suit coat to wear and when she wanted to call you to pick her up, I convinced her to stay with me and Brent. Amy was great. She helped Paige fix her dress and hair. My date wasn’t so understanding. She left the dance with someone else so Paige and I spent the post prom together.”

  Stuart’s face was red with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me what he’d done to her? Do you think I would have let her work around him if I knew? I’m very disappointed in you Daniel.”

  Dan held up a hand. “Hang on. I didn’t see what happened, but when we were dancing, Paige told me she kneed the guy in his family jewels and that she saw him limping from the building. She said she thought Walt was just socially awkward and didn’t want to be the reason he and his mom got fired.”

  Stuart gripped the edge of the table. “If I had any idea, I would have fired him and Claudia both.”

  Evie scolded Stuart. “Why would you even give her permission to go the prom? I thought we had a hard and fast rule that the kids weren’t to date until they were sixteen. What happened?”

  He snapped at Evie. “Claudia suggested Paige go with Walter. She thought Paige would be sensitive to Walter’s shyness. You were off discovering yourself. It was Paige that kept the store running. She managed the scheduling, figured out your bookkeeping and improved it. I went into a deep depression and it was Paige that kept the store in business. She kept the house running too. She cooked and cleaned for me and Brent. She worked so hard her grades suffered. I decided that Paige deserved to have some fun after the way she shouldered all that responsibility. When she came home from the prom with Dan, I thought Walter was too shy and I was pleased that Paige and Dan started dating. Dan took her to school and brought her home every day. She hired him to work part-time and scheduled him to work when she was there.”

  Dan held his hands up in a helpless gesture. “Paige downplayed what happened, but I could tell she was uncomfortable around Walter. I did everything I could to keep him away from her the rest of the school year.”

  Evie sat quietly. “You never said anything. I didn’t think you cared that I left.”

  “You are my world, Evie. It still hurts that you left me like that without so much as a word.”

  Cooper relayed what Melissa Osterman had told him and Paige about Walter bragging he was going to marry Paige.

  Stuart shook his head. “I had no idea he held a torch for Paige until Cooper told me about that. It explains why Walt and Claudia showed up at the visitation for Matt Jennings.”

  Agent Franklin snapped to attention. “Who was Matt Jennings?”

  “My father,” said Cooper. “He died last week.”

  Agent Delia Franklin’s face paled. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I promise you, we’ll find Paige.” She took out a pen and notepad and turned to Stuart. “I want you to tell me everything you can about Walter Crawford and his mother.”

  “His mother, Claudia, holds a tight rein on Walter,” said Stuart. “Claudia’s husband ran out on them when Walt was in grade school. One day he just disappeared, leaving her alone to raise Walt. She came into the store and begged me for a job so we hired her and as soon as Walt was old enough, we hired him too. I felt sorry for the kid. He was quiet and didn’t seem to have any friends so when Claudia suggested Paige go to the prom with Walter, I urged him to ask her.”

  Evie punched him on the shoulder. “You what?”

  Stuart rubbed his shoulder and grimaced. “Paige was alone most of the time. You were cooking and eating your way across Europe, Brent was busy with Amy and basketball, Joni was in college. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to let Paige go to the prom when she was turning sixteen the next month.�
�

  Pounding on the door caused both Dan and Agent Franklin to draw their weapons.

  Cooper hurried after them to find a frantic Ted Flannigan banging on the front door. He rushed in as soon as the door was opened. “I’ve found her. I know where Paige is.”

  Chapter Thirty

  The morning sky began to glow red through the living room window when the news report on the television captured Paige’s attention, especially when she heard her own name. The words of the female FBI agent barely registered as Paige focused on Cooper and her father’s solemn faces on the screen.

  Cooper stepped up to the microphone. “I’ve been asked to read a statement from the family. ‘We plead with whoever took Paige to return her unharmed. If anyone has knowledge of her whereabouts, please contact local law enforcement or the FBI. All we want is for Paige to come home to us safe and unharmed.’ That is the message from Paige’s family. For myself, I will add a warning. Do not harm her. If you do, I will find you and God help you when I do.”

  Paige tried to remain passive, but felt her cheeks flush with the heat of knowing the intensity of love behind Cooper’s words.

  She also noticed that it was a lot darker in Fort Wayne than it was in Ohio where the eastern sky glowed brighter by the minute.

  Claudia grunted and turned off the television. She stumbled and knocked over the half empty whiskey bottle by the recliner. She swooped it up on unsteady legs, leaving an amber fist-sized stain on the dirty, gray carpet. A throaty cackle rumbled from her as she brought the bottle to her lips. After a hefty swallow, she took a few wavering steps to the end table by the sofa. Her first two tries to set the bottle down, it glanced off the side of the sofa. On the third attempt she held the edge of the table with her left hand and slid the bottom of the bottle down her arm until it rested solidly on the wood, which was marred by multiple round water stains.

  She waved at the TV as if Cooper was still there. “Big talk for a cripple.” She snorted a laugh. “Do you know, I could make you disappear and no one, not even your pretty boy, would ever be the wiser.” After soundlessly snapping her fingers, she smacked her hands together awkwardly. “Just like that.”

  An icy shiver ran down Paige’s spine. Claudia had always given her an uneasy feeling, even when she tried to act friendly.

  “Mom, you promised not to hurt her,” Walter whined.

  Claudia sneered at her son. “I won’t, as long as she goes along with us and does exactly as she’s told. We’ll go to the county courthouse and get the license. You two will be married in a civil ceremony. Then we can be one big happy family. Stuart will make Walter the store manager and we’ll have everything we ever wanted.” She giggled as if she’d told a hilarious joke.

  Paige lifted her eyebrows. Claudia was insane. Rummaging, for something that would make their crazy plan fruitless, Paige asked, “Wouldn’t I have to have some kind of identification to get a marriage license?”

  Claudia’s face sobered into a scowl. “You idiot! Do you mean to tell me you didn’t grab her purse? How many times did we go over this plan?” She slapped Walter across the side of his head. “You’re as worthless as your father was. Remember what that got him?”

  “Her purse went flying and spilled all over the parking lot,” Walter whimpered. “You took off as soon as I got her in the van. What was I supposed to do?”

  Against her will, Paige felt sorry for Walter. She also wondered what happened to his father. She’d always thought he deserted his family. Had Claudia done something to him?

  Walter hung his head. “I’m sorry Mama. What can we do?”

  Claudia picked up the shotgun from the floor where she’d left it, and fingered the safety on and off repeatedly. She staggered the length of the living room and back again, coming to stop in front of Paige.

  As the shotgun barrel began to swing toward her, Paige said, “I’ve got an idea. My parents have a copy of my birth certificate at their house and I still get mail there. I’m sure that will be enough to get a marriage license. I’ll just tell them I lost my license and that I’ve requested a replacement. I can even request a new license online and print a copy of the request.”

  The vertical wrinkle in Claudia’s brow deepened. “Why are you being so helpful? I figured we’d have to do a lot of threatening to convince you to marry my son.”

  Paige hitched up one shoulder. “I’m tied up and you’re armed. I don’t have much of a choice, do I? I seriously want to come out of this alive.”

  Claudia smirked at her. “Keep that kind of attitude and you might live. Just so you understand, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, or tell anyone you didn’t marry Walter willingly, then you and whoever you tell will disappear perma—pernamal—pemna—forever.”

  Paige chanced a look at Walter. The dark expression directed toward his mother vanished when she turned toward him.

  Claudia stretched and glared at her son. “Make yourself useful, moron. Fix some breakfast.” She stomped to the hallway. “I’m going to get a shower. If you let her escape, you might as well start digging a hole next to your father, because you’ll be joining him.”

  Paige jumped when Claudia slammed her bedroom door shut.

  Walter sat completely still with his hands in his lap and his head hanging down.

  Claudia’s words bounced around Paige’s mind. “So I take it your dad didn’t run off?”

  Walter shook his head without looking up.

  “You’ve known all along?”

  He nodded his head. He waited until the sound of the shower filtered from the bathroom. When he spoke, it was in a whisper. “I was eleven. Mom yelled at Dad all the time. He did the best he could and worked hard, but he couldn’t read much and the only job he could get was collecting garbage and working here on Grandpa Crawford’s farm. Mostly he just let her yell at him and hit him. I loved my dad. He wasn’t real smart, but he was kind. He never laid a hand on my mom until she started hitting me.”

  He brushed at a tear and turned his face away. “Dad yelled at her and told her to stop. He shoved her away from me. He didn’t mean to shove her so hard. He apologized right away, but Mom got real quiet and went to the kitchen. He turned his back on her to help me up and she stabbed him over and over and over again.” He swiped at the freefalling tears. “There was so much blood…so much blood. Dad held my hand all the while until he…”

  Paige touched Walter’s arm with the side of her bound hands. “What happened then?”

  “We lived in town and this was my dad’s father’s house. Grandpa didn’t like Mom and he changed his will so Dad didn’t inherit the farm. It was to come to me after I grew up. Grandpa died the same night he told Mom about the will. That was less than two weeks before she killed Dad. She had me dig up Grandpa’s grave here on the farm, and bury Dad on top of his coffin. She told me if I ever told anyone she’d kill me and whoever I told.”

  “I don’t understand. Why does she want me to marry you?”

  “My dad wasn’t bright. I’m not either. I have to be married to inherit. I guess it was Grandpa’s way of keeping Mom from getting it. Until I’m married, the farm is held in a trust. It can’t be sold until after I own it.”

  Paige contemplated what Walter told her. It still didn’t make sense. “Walter, have you ever signed a will or power of attorney that lets your mother inherit if you die or gives her power over your legal decisions if you don’t?”

  “When I turned sixteen she said I needed to have a will. It says if I die, Mom gets everything I own.”

  Paige’s chest burned and she felt nauseous. “My dad told me there’s been a developer wanting to build a strip mall here and has been blocked by a key piece of land that is held in trust. Walter, don’t you see? This isn’t about my dad. She’s going to kill both of us after you inherit.”

  Paige urged him to stand up. “Let me help you make breakfast for your mom. We need to buy some time before they get here.”

  “Before who gets here?” Walter asked.<
br />
  “If you’re lucky, it will only be Dan Cavanaugh.”

  Walter turned a sickly shade of green. “I thought he was in Washington.”

  Paige shook her head. “He’s been in Fort Wayne for the past week.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Paige convinced Walter to unfasten her hands so she could help him cook. She whipped up a batch of pancake batter and sprinkled sleeping pills into the first three pancakes she made. Next she mixed up a batch of honey butter in three cups, one for each of them. She added two more sleeping pills to Claudia’s butter.

  When she heard the shower turn off, she began scrambling the eggs. She waited until the eggs began to set to add two more sleeping pills to part of the eggs, being careful to scramble them separate from the rest.

  She quickly plated Claudia’s food and had Walter tape her wrists together again. She sat down on the sofa and waited for Claudia to join them.

  Claudia towel dried her curly hair with one hand and carried the shotgun in the other. She eyed Paige with suspicion. “Why didn’t you try to leave? Can’t tell me you aren’t smart enough to con Walter into doing what you want.”

  “I’m hungry and it looks delicious.”

  Claudia pressed her lips together and frowned at her. “Don’t get your hopes up. He’s no better at cooking than he is at anything else.”

  Paige shrugged. “I told him my recipes and he made my favorite breakfast. It smells good.”

  “Humph.” Claudia plopped down on what Walter said was her usual place at the table.

  Paige held her breath when he picked up two plates at once and almost put the wrong one in front of his mother. She looked at Paige with a wicked glint in her eye. “I think you will fast until you and Walter are married.”

  Paige pretended to pout, while mentally cheering. Just to be on the safe side, she’d emptied the rest of the sleeping pills in the remaining batter when Walter wasn’t looking.

  Claudia and Walter were noisy eaters, each moaning and grunting in enjoyment of their meal. When they finished, Paige pretended that she’d fallen asleep.